Distant Shores
by dontcryMasha
Summary: Post game. Kyle and Mila start their new lives together. Mila might be a kid on the inside, but she's blooming, and Kyle is a little reluctant to admit what he feels.
1. Chapter 1

Mila and Kyle headed out onto the open road together. The old hotel was slowly disappaearing as the sun came up over the barren land.

"M...Mr Hyde?"

"Yeah?"

"I hope you don't mind me being here." The young lady looked at her hands in her lap.

"Nah," Kyle said. "I wouldn't 'a let you come if I did." He smiled. "But there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"Huh?"

"Well, don't you think you'd be more comfortable staying with Rosa? I think she was takin' good care of you."

Mila gazed out of her window. Her eyes looked sad and worried.

"It's not that...no...I think...yeah...staying with Rosa isn't a terrible idea, but..."

"But what?"

"But..." she hesitated. "After hearing the truth about Papa...I don't want to hold onto any of these memories again."

Kyle nodded. "I get it. But, listen..."

"Okay..."

"You're pretty much a little girl that ran into a time machine. There's gonna be a lot of stuff goin' on with you now that I'm no good at helping with. See?"

"I know...it's okay..." Mila hesitated. "I...when I was at the hospital, there was a person there that helped me with new things."

"That's great and all, but I don't know if I'm really up for this job, get it?"

Mila hummed and looked out of the window again.

They drove half a mile or so without talking. Kyle was thinking about what Mila had said earlier about memories. Here she was, having put the last 6 months of her life into finding her father, now just to throw it all away. What a waste...right?

_Maybe it's time to change pace,_ Kyle thought. _Maybe...maybe I should respect what Bradley said..._

They passed a field with cows grazing, and Mila perked up.

"Hey!" She said, pressing a finger against the glass.

"Yeah. Cows. You wanna stop?"

Mila nodded.

Kyle pulled the car over slowly and helped Mila out. She ran up to the fence and tried to reach out to one of the cows, but they were still pretty far away. Kyle laughed.

"What, think you'll reach? C'mon."

Mila looked determined, but gave up shortly there after.

"You don't wanna touch them anyway." Kyle told her. "Cows are pretty dirty."

The girl turned around and looked at Kyle. Yeah, she was real good looking. She was grown up, too. But in her heart she was still a kid. Kyle sighed.

"Here." He said, grabbing her arm and walking further down the fence. There was a cow just over the wire near the gate. Kyle tried to open the gate but it was locked pretty well. He looked back at Mila, who was gazing at the animal desperately. Hyde heaved another heavy sigh, then grabbed Mila around the waist and hoisted her half way over the fence. She reached out her arms and patted the cow on the head, who of course didn't care.

"Eewww he's greasy!" Mila said, laughing.

"I told you!" Kyle smirked. "Come on, cut this crap."

He took Mila back to their side of the fence.

"She isn't that dirty."

"How do you know it's a she?" Mila asked.

"Ugh. Come _on. _It has an udder. You didn't know that?"

She shook her head.

_If I wanted kids, I woulda' had 'em by now._

"My hands feel icky." Mila moaned. Kyle sighed once more and looked her hands over.

"They look fine to me." He said quickly.

"But they feel icky. Auggh..." The girl waved her hands around and pouted.

"You wanted to see that cow so bad. Get over it." Kyle headed back to the car. "Get back in."

Mila stood by the fence, looking forward. She was upset that Kyle had been so short with her. There was a blank expression on her face. A bit of wind picked up and brushed past her, but she did not stir. Kyle already got into the car, then he saw the girl still standing there.

He rolled down the window and yelled out, "Hey, come on!"

Finally, she got back inside. But she didn't say anything for a long time.

There were driving through a small town when Kyle broke the silence.

"So why're you being so quiet now?" He asked.

"I..." Mila stuttered. She picked up her hand and delicately touched the window. "I don't know."

"Well alright. Hey, are you hungry?"

"Yeah."

Kyle pulled the car into a diner on the side of the road. He opened Mila's door and helped her out.

"Cheer up, will ya?" He said with a smile. Mila hid behind her hair.


	2. Chapter 2

After lunch, Mila was still withdrawn. She ate just half of her chicken sandwich, and a few sips of Coke.

"Mila..." Kyle said calmly. "You're making me go soft. What's bothering you?"

"I think I made a mistake." She admitted quickly.

"What? When?"

"Coming with you. I think...I think I make you mad..." Her eyes started to tear up.

"Ahh for fuck's sake, girl." Kyle burried his head in his hands. Mumbling, he said, "You don't make me mad."

"But...at the field...you were so angry."

"No, I wasn't. Just a little frustraighted." He got out of his hands and leaned back against the booth. "We've both had some pretty crazy days lately."

"Yeah."

"Let's just start fresh, okay? Nobody's mad or sad about anything." Kyle proposed. "We're two new people. The past is all behind us now. We got new lives in front of us. Neh?"

_The past is all behind us now. No going back. New lives..._

Mila nodded and showed Kyle the smile he was delighted to see.

"There ya go!" Kyle said. "Good girl. Alright. Ready to go? We'll find something cool to go look at."

"Okay!"

"Give me a second. I'll pay the tab. Go ahead and get back in the car." Kyle handed Mila the car keys, then walked around to the restrooms. He went up to a pay phone and dropped in a coin.

"Yeah Operator, put me throught to 'Hotel Dusk' please." He said quietly.

After a few moments, Kyle said,

"I need to speak with a Mr DeNonno."

"Yeah?" Dunning said on the other line. "You ain't the cops, are ya?"

"No sir. And even if I was, I wouldn't tell you."

"Uh...HUH? Alright alright. Gimme a sec."

...

"H...hello?" Louis breathed into the phone.

"_Louie!"_

"...Hyde? Seriously? Hah! I thought maybe you was some chup looking for me! I got a million questions for ya, man!"

"Shhhh...is Dunning there?"

"Nah man. He gone ta' some other place. So what's the deal, man? You run off with the dame?"

"Yeah you could say that."

"Ah what the hell! Are you for real?"

"She wanted to go. She came out and asked me; I didn't invite her."

"Oh maaaan. Why'd you do that?"

Kyle couldn't help but smirk at the disappointment Louis was facing now.

"Calm down Louie. It's no big deal. You know she wasn't gonna stay there forever anyway."

"I was gonna try to work this DeNonno magic an her, alright? _Then _she'd stay forever."

"Shut up Louie. Here. Listen. I need you to do a favor for me."

"You kidding? Why?"

"Come on."

Louie laughed. "Aahhh man just pulling your leg. What'cha need?"

"I need you to erase all evidence of me being at the Hotel."

"For sure, man?"

"Yes. I need you to get my name, both times, out of that Guest Register."

"Aaahh that's tough. But alright, my man. Anything for you."

"And I need you to promise something."

"Lay it on me."

"You must never try to contact me, ever again. What happened at the hotel never did. Got it?"

"Ah...okay...if you're sure." Louie sounded a little dismayed. "After all that, we gotta disappear?"

"Yeah. It's a dangerous world. You know..."

"This about Bradley?"

"I'm..." Kyle looked around, then sighed. "I'm throwing my hat in. I'm giving up. I want to start all over again."

"I know the feeling, man. Alright alright. So I guess this is our last goodbye?"

"I guess so. Louie, stay good."

"You too, Officer Hyde. I uh...hey, if...if you can, maybe tell Mila I said bye. Okay?"

"Ughhh...alright."

"So...I guess uh...Ciao, brother! Thanks for everything."

"Bye Louie."

Kyle hung up the receiver and looked at the ground for a few moments.

_That's life I guess..._

When Kyle came back to his car, Mila was sitting in the passenger's seat with the door open. There was a cricket on the ground that she watching like a cat.

"Hey." Kyle said to get her attention. "You ready to go?"

Mila looked up at nodded.

"Mr Hyde?" She asked.

"Please. Just call me Kyle. Mr Hyde is getting a little weird. What is it?"

Mila pointed at the front of her dress. There was a streak where she must have spilled some ketchup.

"Oh come on. You've gotta be kidding!" Kyle said, planting his head in his palm. "You don't have anything else to wear, huh?"

Mila shook her head.

"I'm gonna be all outta dough soon, girl."


	3. Chapter 3

They drove to the first clothing store they could find, which happened to be a Good Will, and Kyle let her pick out a few things. She seemed happy to be inside the store.

"I like this." Mila said. She pulled out a hot pink dress. It was pretty short.

"Ah. Uh...well...I guess if you...really want it." Kyle hesitated, embarrassed. "Would it er...fit you?"

"Yeah. I think so. It's the same size as this other one here. And this one fits."

"Alright. Get what you like."

After checking out and getting back to the car, Mila seemed anxious to wear the pink dress. She was about to change in the parking lot.

"Hey hey! Stop. You can't do that here."

"What? Why not?"

"Mila, you don't have a little girl's body anymore. You can't just walk around in your underwear anywhere."

Mila looked weary. "What do I do?"

"Over here." Kyle pointed to a gas station next to the parking lot. "There's gonna be a restroom there I guess. You'll be able to change there."

They walked over together, the afternoon sun hot overhead. Mila kept looking down at her stained dress, then at the new pink one over arm.

Kyle went inside the Gas Station and brought back the restroom key. He took her around the back of the building, then let her into the Ladies Room.

"Change in there." Kyle pointed into the room. Mila nodded and went in.

After a minute or so, Kyle knocked on the door and asked if everything was okay.

"Ummm..." Mila mumbled. "I can't...aggh...Mr Hyde, I need help."

_You've gotta be kidding! _He thought. "You sure? You can't...just slip it on or whatever?"

"N...no...ouch...Please?"

Kyle opened the door real slow and snuck in. Mila's old dress was tossed on the floor, but the pink one was stuck over her arms, which were sticking up into the air.

"I don't know...hrrff...what I did wrong!"

Blushing, Kyle took the dress down off her arms and pulled it over her body.

"There."

Mila gasped for air then smiled at Hyde. "Thank you." She said quietly.

"Come on, it stinks like piss in here."

Kyle went into the main building again to return the key, and came out with two boxes in his hand.

"Pick your poison." He said to Mila with a laugh. He held out a little box of cheap sweets in one hand, and a pack of Marlboro in the other. "You're a big girl. What, can't take the pressure?"

"Um. Papa said smoking is bad..."

"Papa probably said getting in cars with strangers was bad, too. Just take the candy." Kyle sneered and forced the sweets into her palm. She fingered over it and ate one slowly.

Hyde opened the cigs and lit one up.

"Why do you smoke, Mr Hyde?"

"I said call me Kyle. I don't wanna repeat myself." Kyle puffed on the stick and laughed. "It makes me look cool." He said sarcastically.

"Cool?" Mila smiled. "You're cool, M...Kyle."

They started walking back to the car. Mila was eating the candy reluctantly, and looking at Kyle smoke every couple seconds.

"What?" He asked once noticed.

"I jus...ah..."

"_What?_"

"I wanna look cool, too." She admitted.

"You want a cigarette?" Kyle stopped in his tracks and burst into laughter. "Seriously? Wow, you crack me up, kid! Hah!"

Mila blushed.

"I wanna look cool, like you."

"Alright, just cause you insist. But you're gonna hate the first one, I promise you." Kyle handed her the cigarette he had already been smoking, the lit up another for himself.

Mila put the cigarette to her lips and sucked on it a little. She suddenly coughed loudly, but tried to smile despite it.

"D-do I look cool now?"

"Haaah..." Kyle remembered his first smoke. "Yeah, you look real cute."

"Cute? I said 'cool'."

"What? Yeah yeah. I did too, I said you look real cool."

Mila tried to smoke until they got back to the car. Her head starting hurting, and Kyle told her to put it out.

"It's okay. It'll get better next time." He said as he started the engine. "How do you feel?"

"Deeuuughh..."

"Relax a little. I'll drive smooth."

The rest of the day was driving. They covered a great long distance, too, but Kyle kept wishing he knew where they were heading. It was hard to keep on trucking when the destination was so unclear.

As the sun began to set, they realized it was time to stop for the night and rest. If Mila hadn't been there, Kyle would've probably gone on all night. But the girl was special, and she needed enough down time to feel healthy.

They stopped at a cheap roadside Motel, which wasn't exactly Mila's pick, but probably the only inexpensive place for another State. Well, probably the only place to stay at all for another State.

The receptionist was a totally bored looking middle aged woman, who perked up a little when the two asked for a room. Kyle took only one for two reasons; he didn't want Mila to be alone, and he couldn't really afford two.

"Yeah? Okay. Well, I ain't here to ask questions or poke in yer business, so..." The receptionist babbled. She shuffled through a couple stacks of paperwork that was pretty much BSed, then gave Kyle the key. "You two have fun." She added with a sneer.

"Alright lady, whatever you say." Kyle said, snapping is tongue. He left the office and signaled for Mila to follow.

"What was she talking about?" Mila asked.

They headed down the sidewalk until they found room 103.

"Don't let it bother you. She's just been working to long is all."

Kyle unlocked the door and flicked on the lights.

_Are you kidding me? _he thought, eyes wide. _One bed? _

Mila jumped up onto the queen mattress and hopped up and down.

"We're in a hotel!" She yelled. "Me and Mr Hyde in a hotel!"

Kyle blushed.

"Come on. It's la-ate. People are tryin' to sleep. Get off of there and settle down."

Mila stopped bouncing and got quiet. Kyle was glad to see her happy, but...

"You want dinner?" He asked. She shook her head. "You sure?"

"Yes. I'm not hungry. No no."

"Okay, but I'm gonna find something to snack, somewhere. There's gotta be something. You stay put. Don't open the door for _nobody_. I'll be back, okay?"

Mila nodded.

Kyle returned almost an hour later, his hunt for food unsuccessful. He unlocked the door and stomped in, then realized that Mila was sleeping on the bed and quieted down. She was on her side with her arms wrapped around a pillow tightly. Kyle walked over to her, and stared down at her sleeping face. So peaceful. So calm. So safe. So...

He stripped down to his underwear then slid in beside her. He kept to his own side, still grumbling that the clerk had given him a one bed room.

_Well, next time I just gotta be more specific_. He thought. The ceiling was completely dark, and the only sound was Mila breathing faintly in her sleep. The pillow dropped down to the floor, and she made a sound of distress.

Kyle sat up and looked over her, expecting to see her awake, but found her still fast asleep. Her hands weakly grabbed for the security that wasn't there, and she continued to whine. Kyle swallowed hard, trying to forget any thoughts he had about her.

_She's 9 still, so...she needs someone there to hug her._

He layed down on his side and scootched over to her. He slowly reached his arm around her side, shaking, then held her close. Mila tightened her grip around his forearm and her whining ceased. Kyle closed his eyes and breathed out heavily.

_I guess I _am _going soft_, he thought with dismay.

Mila rolled over and faced him, still sleeping. Her mouth was open a little bit, and she was breathing quietly. Kyle watched her snooze for a while. He was happy to see her so relaxed for once. Not a care in the world. Somewhere out in dreamland.

Kyle put his hand to her cheek and touched her gently. Then he started to realized how very alone she was in the world. How alone they both were.


	4. Chapter 4

[Hey there. I know this chapter is short, but i just want to get a little bit of new material out there. I've started writing again, so you can expect some more updates coming. Woo! I'm also going to edit the previous chapters a little bit. I'm afraid the writing is too choppy, plus a lot of typos.]

Mila reached out and cradled Kyle's face between her palms. Kyle blinked slowly and mumbled something that Mila couldn't understand. Instead, she placed her thumbs over his lips and "shushed" him. The ex-detective put his arms out and held Mila tightly. His body was warm. Mila close her eyes and blushed. "Kyle, I…"

The young girl opened her eyes suddenly. The morning sun was leaking in through the ratty Motel curtains. Mila sat up and looked over at Kyle; his back was facing her, and he was clearly still asleep. It was just a dream, Mila realized. The memory of those odd images was still fresh on her mind. Intimacy was still quite unknown to Mila, and her dream was rather unsettling to her. She reached out and poked Kyle in the back, feeling a little embarrassed but also confused. Hyde grunted and slowly turned onto his back. He stretched his arms high above his head and stretched, letting out a loud and unattractive yawn. Mila giggled.

"Oh, what? It's you," Kyle mumbled, looking at the girl with one eye opened. He smacked his lips a few times and then sat up with his back against the wall. The headboard rattled, and Kyle remarked to himself something about the Motel.

"Good morning," Mila chirped. Her blonde hair was tousled. "Um. Did you sleep well?"

"Better than most nights, that's for sure." Kyle said with a little grin.

"Did you have any dreams?" Mila balled her fists onto the bed and held herself up on them.

"Uhhh," Kyle looked at her with a blank stare, then started laughing. "Yeeaah, I think? Why? Haaah."

"Did you dream about me?"

"Okay, okay, I don't like this. What are you talking about?" Kyle suddenly stood up and grabbed his clothes from the floor. He started to get dressed, darting his eyes back at Mila a few times. She looked at him and smiled. She then also stood up and went into the bathroom. "Jesus Christ," Kyle said under his breath, buttoning his shirt up.

The sink turned on a few times, then Mila came out with a wet face. "No towels," she said quietly.

"Bullshit," Kyle quipped. "Check again." Mila stuck out her tongue and popped back into the bathroom. She said, "No towels" once more. Kyle stormed into the bathroom and peered inside swiftly. "Oh. You're right. Well how about that."

"Yeah," Mila chirped. She grabbed Kyle's sleeve and dried her face.

"Watch it. Hey. Hey!" Kyle snapped. "Really?"

Mila looked up at the man and her eyes welled up again. She bit her lower lip and looked at the floor quickly. "I do make you mad." She whimpered.

"This again? No, no." Kyle coaxed. He inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled, and then put his hands on Mila's shoulders gently. "I'm going to tell you this one last time, see? Now you listen and you listen good; you do NOT make me mad. You do NOT inconvenience me. You and I. We have nobody. We just got each other, right? We gotta stick together. Now, I won't let you down and I won't go nowhere, you got that? Now wipe your eyes."

Mila sniffed and looked up at Kyle. "W-with what?" She asked quietly.

Kyle grabbed some toilet paper and bunched it up. "This. Here you go." The girl took it and softly dabbed her eyes and nose. "Feel better?" Kyle asked. "I know your Papa isn't coming back, but I'll be here." He swallowed a lump in his throat, trying to suppress the feelings of fondness building up inside.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey people. Sorry this took me so long, and sorry to wrap it up so quickly. It's just been open-ended for WAY too long, and I'm afraid if I don't finish now, I never will.**

"Papa really isn't coming back, is he?" Mila asked. She took the wet toilet paper and threw it into the trashcan. Kyle shook his head.

"Sorry," he said quietly. "I have an idea, but I'd rather not tell you. Let's just get out of here and figure out…"

Mila finished Kyle's sentence with, "the rest of our lives."

Kyle looked down at his suitcase and stared. The idea of life somehow continuing hit him pretty hard, and he didn't say anything as he got their things together and closed up the room.

"Will you be here?" Mila asked.

"Huh?"

"Will you be here, Mr. Hyde? Will you be here with me?"

"Erm…" Kyle gazed into the girl's eyes. She looked desperate. So desperate. Her soul craved comfort, but could he supply?

"Mila, I…"

The salesman was unable to speak. His thoughts were sporadic, and there were no proper words to convey his feelings. Mila swallowed hard and continued to look up at him.

"We need to go," Kyle said quietly. She nodded and followed him out of their room.

They checked out of the motel and headed to Kyle's car. It was another dry day, of course. Mila walked across the small parking lot looking at her feet. Kyle wanted to help, but he wasn't sure how. He couldn't get too close. If they palled around together much longer, he was afraid that he might fall in love with her, if he hadn't already.

"Where will we go?" Mila asked.

"L.A., I guess. Is that alright with ya?"

"Yes." She nodded and got into the car.

Kyle had a cigarette before they left. He tossed the butt onto the gravel and slammed the car door shut. He looked at Mila. She was staring out of the window, gazing at the motel.

"What're you thinking?" Kyle asked.

Mila stayed focused outside and quietly said, "I don't know."

"You're afraid?"

"Yes."

"It's okay."

Kyle put his hand on her shoulder and patted her gently. Mila smiled. She turned to the ex-detective and closed her eyes happily.

"I'm glad I came with you," she admitted. Kyle was losing a battle with his smile.

"Me, too," he quietly agreed.

It kind of felt like Kyle Hyde was disappearing. He was being transformed into some sort of sappy wuss. But then again, his whole personality had gone down the shitter after he shot Bradley. Maybe rebuilding from the ground up would be the best thing to do. How do you change like that? It's a gradual progression, but life just moves on its own sometimes.

"I have an idea," Kyle said suddenly. "Stay here."

He jumped out of the car and went back to the motel. Mila watched him as he went to the only payphone.

"Hey," Kyle said into the receiver.

"Hi sweetie. Didn't think I'd hear from you for a while. Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Listen, do you think you could set aside some space in your apartment for me?"

"For _you_? Kyle, we've talked about this. I don't want you living with me."

"No, no. It's not for me. A girl."

"A girl?"

"The Evans girl. She's with me, and I don't want her bunking with me."

"Ohh, I see. Alright, handsome. I'll see what I can do. When will you be here?"

"A day, I guess. Thanks Rachel."

He hung up the phone quickly and glanced at his car. Mila was staring at him, almost eerily. He smiled sheepishly and came back to her.

"I got a place for you to stay," he said as he sat back down.

"Where?"

"A good friend of mine. She'll take care of you."

"Ohh…" Mila looked down.

"What? You want to stay with me?"

The girl nodded solemnly. Kyle sighed. _I can't have her with me_, he thought. _But, well…_

Kyle put his arm around Mila's shoulders.

"Hey," he said softly. "Look here."

Mila turned to him and stared with wide, innocent eyes. Kyle cupped his palms around her cheeks and held her like that for a moment. Mila made a little smile.

"I'm not going anywhere," Kyle reassured her. "Rachel is a nice woman, and you'll love being with her. I'll see you all the time."

"Sure?" Mila asked. Kyle nodded.

"I won't disappear. Not like your papa."

"…sure?"

"Yes," Kyle said, feeling a little miffed.

Mila reached up and placed her hands over Kyle's, keeping them around her face. She closed her eyes and smiled.

"I can feel your heartbeat," she said. "It's soft."

"Yeah, alright," Kyle said. He wanted to roll his eyes, but his tolerated it anyway. "Mila?"

"Mr. Hyde?"

"Kyle. Please call me Kyle."

"…Kyle?"

Kyle pressed his nose against Mila's. He smiled as he felt her gentle breath against him.

"I'll take care of you," the salesman said. "I'll always be here."

Mila was nervous but happy. Kyle looked at her eyes, still closed, and he did the same. He pulled her face to his and kissed her delicately on the lips.

_ Her first kiss, I'm sure_.

"Mila?" Kyle whispered after he backed off a little. The girl's face was bright red. "Is this okay?"

"Yes," Mila peeped. "Kyle?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I uh, love you, too…"


End file.
